Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chico, CA and Barcelona

For one person, living costs are similar in Chico, CA and in Barcelona: $2,475 and $2,453 a month, rent and utilities included.

119

Cost of Living Index in Chico, CA
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Chico, CA Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Chico, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,475

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chico, CA and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chico, CA and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,475 in Chico, CA versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

Chico, CA $2,475
Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,704 in Chico, CA versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

Chico, CA $3,704
Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,934 in Chico, CA versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

Chico, CA $4,934
Barcelona $4,564

Monthly costs are close between Chico, CA and Barcelona; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chico, CA 82% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.18 $25.18

$17.59 €15.80

43.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 $50.1

$67.5 €60.6

-25.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.23 $12.23

$13.53 €12.15

-9.61%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.19 €2.87

76.49%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.91 €2.62

-8.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.89 €1.70

18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 $7.34

$4.01 €3.60

83.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 $7.98

$4.53 €4.07

76.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.31 €1.17

-12.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.02 €1.81

48.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$1.85 €1.66

96.22%

Eggs

$4.77 $4.77

$4.83 €4.34

-1.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 $11.04

$16.74 €15.03

-34.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.27 $12.27

$9.12 €8.19

34.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.70 $22.70

$19.64 €17.64

15.58%

Apples (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$2.98 €2.68

81.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.02 €1.81

13.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.70 €2.43

40.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$2.80 €2.52

97.86%

Potato (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$2.09 €1.87

147.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.07 €1.86

46.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.46 €1.31

72.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$0.94 €0.84

173.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.64 $11.64

$6.87 €6.17

69.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 $15.04

$7.89 €7.08

90.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.41 €1.26

24.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.54 €2.28

45.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.14 €2.82

-38.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.62 $45.62

$25.45 €22.86

79.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.99 €2.69

6.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.49 €1.34

59.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.22 $39.22

$33.37 €29.98

17.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.80 €1.61

-21.67%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.7K $27.7K

$33.2K €29.8K

-16.53%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.2K $26.2K

$31.7K €28.5K

-17.35%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$186 $186

$180 €162

2.90%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$48.18 $48.18

$13.84 €12.43

248.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 $66.2

$33.70 €30.27

96.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.4 $61.4

$51.5 €46.27

19.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.83 $12.83

$10.99 €9.88

16.74%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,844 $1,844

$917 €823

101.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K $36.9K

$16.5K €14.8K

123.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 $51.6

$87.0 €78.2

-40.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.09 $32.09

$38.51 €34.59

-16.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 $70.2

$106 €95.1

-33.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$120 €108

-15.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 $1,193

$1,699 €1,527

-29.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 $1,096

$1,355 €1,217

-19.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 $2,271

$2,603 €2,338

-12.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,998 $1,998

$2,062 €1,853

-3.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,478 $3,478

$6,915 €6,211

-49.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,846 $2,846

$5,128 €4,606

-44.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,790 $3,790

$2,211 €1,986

71.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.28

3.28

91.46%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chico, CA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chico, CA

$1.1K 44.3%

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3% 23.6% $259

Groceries & Markets

Chico, CA

$430 17.4%

Barcelona

$322 13.1% 25.2% $108

Eating Out

Chico, CA

$378 15.3%

Barcelona

$268 10.9% 29.1% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chico, CA

$300 12.1%

Barcelona

$228 9.3% 24% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Chico, CA

$115 4.6%

Barcelona

$158 6.4% 37.5% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Chico, CA

$87 3.5%

Barcelona

$74 3% 15.6% $14

Getting Around

Chico, CA

$68 2.8%

Barcelona

$48 2% 29.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,193 in Chico, CA and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chico, CA pays 71% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $50 in Chico, CA vs $67 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $430 vs $322, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chico, CA

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

13:28 1:28 PM

21:28 9:28 PM

8 h ahead of Chico, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,316

1,660,122

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chico, CA Barcelona 9,370 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chico, CA
Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chico, CA vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 71% higher in Chico, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,193 in Chico, CA versus $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,844 in Chico, CA versus $917 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chico, CA – a meal for two runs $50 versus $67 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Barcelona gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Barcelona wins on affordability, Chico, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.